Chapter 545 - 545: 545
Ye Qing looked at Old Wang Ba and said, "What is it this time? Are you deceiving me again?"
"Ay, why are you so suspicious? Am I really that untrustworthy in your eyes?" Old Wang Ba waved his hand and said, "I won't tell you the specifics now. Later on, go out and buy some stuff, you're going to visit someone!"
"Visit who?" Ye Qing asked in surprise. He didn't know many people in Dongzhou. Could it be that he was going to visit Huangfu Ziyu? But since when was Old Wang Ba willing to meet with Huangfu Ziyu?
Old Wang Ba looked at Ye Qing and smiled, "He helped you out last time, remember?"
"Huangfu Ziyu?" Ye Qingqi asked.
"Damn, why are you always thinking about women?" Old Wang Ba flipped off Ye Qing and said, "Huangfu Ziyu is indeed beautiful, but don't keep her on your lips all the time, okay?"
"Besides her, I don't know anyone else here!" Ye Qing said.
"Nonsense!" Old Wang Ba said. "You forgot? Your army buddy gave you a phone number. He said if you run into any trouble in Shenchuan City, you could call that number for help. The last time you made such a big fuss at the North Huanqian Bay Bar, I called that number, and it was him who smooth things over for you!"
"Ah?" Ye Qing's eyes widened. The number Green Wolf had given him had been lost to him ever since Old Wang Ba left. He thought it was lost in the chaos, but it turned out that Old Wang Ba had taken it.
What shocked Ye Qing even more was the man Green Wolf asked him to contact was so powerful. Just a phone call from Old Wang Ba, and he had settled such a big issue for Ye Qing. This meant that this person was no ordinary figure either!
"Do you know who this person is?" Ye Qing asked.
"Hehehe..." Old Wang Ba chuckled and said, "You'll know when you meet him this afternoon."
Seeing Old Wang Ba's mysterious demeanor, Ye Qing knew he would not get any more information from him. He frowned and said, "Isn't it too sudden to visit someone like this?"
"What's wrong with that? I've already made the arrangements for you; just go this afternoon!" Old Wang Ba patted Ye Qing on the shoulder and said, "There are a few more things I need to tell you. When you visit him this afternoon, there will be another guest there. This person is around fifty years old, of medium height, and has a kind-looking appearance. When you meet this person, say a few words to him!"
"What words?" Ye Qing was even more puzzled, with Old Wang Ba seeming to be setting something up. But Ye Qing couldn't figure out what exactly Old Wang Ba's intentions were.
Old Wang Ba leaned in close to Ye Qing's ear and whispered a few words. Ye Qing's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Old Wang Ba and said, "Are you trying to deceive someone again? Let me tell you, if you're going to deceive someone, do it yourself; don't drag me into it!"
"Damn, is that what I am in your eyes?" Old Wang Ba said.
"Yes!" Ye Qing replied crisply.
"Damn damn damn damn!" Old Wang Ba cursed several times and said, "Stop talking nonsense and just do as I told you. You're Third Master Li's disciple; would I still scam you?"
"Have you scammed me little?" Ye Qing retorted.
"Ay, enough with bringing up those minor things. I would never joke with you about something this big!" Old Wang Ba said. "Just do as I say, and there will be no problem!"
Ye Qing frowned slightly, observing Old Wang Ba's serious expression, and eventually decided to trust him one more time.
"But can you at least tell me who these two people are?" Ye Qing asked again.
"Classified!" Old Wang Ba said. "Once it's all done, you will know!"
Looking at Old Wang Ba's sleazy expression, Ye Qing really wanted to go over there and beat him up. But considering Cui Yu and Cui Yulong's trust in Old Wang Ba, he finally dismissed the idea. This old guy had some real skills after all; maybe this time he did have some sort of plan!
At three-thirty in the afternoon, Ye Qing did as Old Wang Ba said, buying a few packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, and arrived outside a residential building in the north of the city. As soon as he got here, Ye Qing felt something was amiss because there were armed soldiers standing guard outside this residential building. Seeing their impeccable stance, Ye Qing knew very well that this wasn't a place just anyone could live. Who could be living inside, warranting real soldiers to stand guard with guns?
Standing at the door, Ye Qing felt a growing sense of frustration inside. If Old Wang Ba, the swindler, was really setting him up, then it might be difficult for him to come out once he went in.
After taking a few deep breaths, Ye Qing carrying his purchases walked up to the gate. As expected, he was stopped by a guard as soon as he approached. The guard saluted Ye Qing with a standard military salute and asked, "Are you here to see someone, or is there something else you need?"
Seeing the other party salute with a military gesture, Ye Qing couldn't help but return one. Seeing Ye Qing's standard military salute, the expressions of the few soldiers improved slightly.
Ye Qing responded, "Hello, I'm here to visit Old Mister Zhou, Zhou Bolong!"
Hearing this, the soldiers appeared quite surprised. The person speaking with Ye Qing hesitated for half a second before asking, "Do you have an appointment?"
"Yes," Ye Qing replied, Old Wang Ba has already made an appointment on my behalf.
"Very well, please wait one moment!" The man walked into the adjacent guardhouse and made a phone call. A few minutes later, a sedan arrived at the gate, and a man in his forties got out of the car.
The man approached Ye Qing and asked, "Ye Qing?"
"Yes!" Ye Qing nodded in response.
"Follow me!" Without saying much more, the man led Ye Qing directly into the family building.
After driving around for a bit, Ye Qing finally had a look at the interior of the family building. From the outside, it looked quite ordinary, but the inside was deep and secluded. Moreover, after passing the first few large buildings, the area led to a series of exclusive courtyards. There were several guardhouses at the entrance from the residential area to the exclusive courtyards, making it clear there was a distinct separation.
The man's vehicle faced no obstruction in this area, and he took Ye Qing straight into one of the exclusive courtyards, eventually stopping at the entrance of the last one. This courtyard was not small—it was probably the largest in the area. At the door stood a man in his sixties who, upon seeing Ye Qing, immediately approached with a smile and said, "May I ask if this is Mister Ye Qing?"
"Yes," Ye Qing hastily bowed in reply.
"My name is Peng Changyuan, you can just call me Uncle Peng," the elder said with a smile. "The old master is waiting inside. Please follow me!"
Ye Qing followed the elder into the courtyard, which was serene and even more beautiful than the Ding Family Courtyard he had seen before. From the gate to the living room was nearly a hundred meters—a small garden, showing that the inhabitants here were truly extraordinary.
However, someone who could settle Ye Qing's previous issues with just a phone call mustn't be a simple figure. Seeing the guard situation outside, he might even be an important figure of the Provincial Military Region.
Ye Qing followed Peng Changyuan into the living room, where two elders in their fifties and sixties sat. One of them appeared slightly older, around sixty, with a tall stature. Even at his age, he had a commanding presence, his eyebrows sharp as swords, exuding an aura of strength and aggression. Without a doubt, this man was Zhou Bolong.
The other man, as Old Wang Ba had mentioned, was in his fifties. Of medium build with a kind face, he contrasted sharply with the person beside him.
"Old Mister, Ye Qing has arrived!" Peng Changyuan cheerfully introduced Ye Qing to them.
Both men turned to look at Ye Qing. The man in his fifties remained calm, his eyes showing no particular emotion. But Zhou Bolong's eyes gleamed sharply, and he scrutinized Ye Qing with an uninhibited, aggressive gaze.
Feeling Zhou Bolong's intense scrutiny, Ye Qing felt an uncomfortable pressure. However, he showed no sign of it on his face and simply bowed towards Zhou Bolong, saying, "Uncle Zhou, hello!"
Seeing Ye Qing's calm demeanor, Zhou Bolong's eyes flashed with surprise before he burst into laughter, "Truly, a hero emerges from the youth. No wonder Fifth Brother keeps calling me about you. Excellent indeed. A fine young man, what a shame you've left the service!"
Then, Zhou Bolong looked towards the man next to him and laughed, "Old Liu, what do you think?"
The man, with a serene smile, replied, "No matter the department, it's the individual that counts. Having some development outside is a good thing, too."
"You, after being out of the army for so long, have too many new ideas!" Zhou Bolong waved his hand dismissively and warmly invited Ye Qing to sit down.
It was clear that Zhou Bolong was a former military man, speaking frankly and generously. After sitting and chatting with Zhou Bolong for a while, Ye Qing felt much more at ease, drawn by the old soldier's forthright character, no longer as constrained as before.
But the man beside Zhou Bolong remained mostly silent from the start, just listening to the conversation. He only spoke a few words when Zhou Bolong addressed him, staying quiet otherwise.
"Old Liu, why have you been so distracted all day?" Zhou Bolong slapped the table. "It's rare that we get a young person who can hold a conversation here. You should say a few words. And you, stop waiting; I asked, and there's a kindergarten performance today, your grandson won't be back until tonight. Stop looking so eager!"
Hearing this, Ye Qing was slightly moved. Recalling what Old Wang Ba had mentioned, he scrutinized Old Liu before hesitantly asking, "Uncle Liu's grandson, he will be coming to Uncle Zhou's place too?"
"What do you mean coming here? The child is my grandson," Zhou Bolong replied. "It's him who stubbornly insisted on having my grandson as his godson. Every time he has free time, he comes over here and monopolizes my grandson, what a man!"